Patients with alopecia areata prefer to make treatment decisions using shared decision-making (SDM), according to a study published online Aug. 17 in JAMA Dermatology .

Sophia Reyes-Hadsall, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and colleagues examined patient preferences for SDM and the association of SDM with decisional regret in a cross-sectional online survey that was completed by 1,074 individuals.

The researchers found that most respondents preferred to make the final treatment decision themselves after consideration of the opinion of their physician (46.8 percent). Of the respondents who preferred making treatment decisions using SDM, 55 percent made the last treatment decision with their physician. The physician "explained the advantages and disadvantages of treatment options" (44 percent) and the physician "asked me which treatment option I prefer" (45.9 percent) were the most often identified components of SDM implemented by the patients' dermatologists. Reduced decisional regret was generally seen in association with incorporation of SDM by physicians. Janus kinase inhibitors, followed by biologics and deciding not to treat, were the treatments associated with lowest decisional regret, while highest decisional regret was associated with anthralin and minoxidil.

"Regardless of the treatment choice, implementing components of SDM may help improve the quality of treatment decisions patients make by allowing them to choose treatment options that align with their values and preferences," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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